NCAA’s Best Returning Running Backs

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With the likes of Arkansas' Darren McFadden and Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall off to the NFL, there is a void to be filled for running back supremacy in college football. As we are in the midst of spring practices around the country, let's look at who some of the top returning runners are for the 2008 college season.

Chris Wells, Ohio State: Wells can arguably be considered the top returning player at running back. He was ninth in college football with 1,609 yards rushing, while putting the ball in the end zone 15 times, which was among the top 20 in the country.

Ian Johnson, Boise State: If you don't think Wells is the top returning back, then your vote would probably go to Johnson, who surprised some with his decision to stay in Boise another year. Johnson rushed for just over 1,000 yards, but he missed two games due to injury. However, his 16 rushing TD's were tied for twelfth most in college football.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia: Moreno blazed on to the college scene as a freshman last year at Georgia, as the bulldogs made their case to play in the BCS Championship game. That didn't happen, but Moreno established himself as a force at tailback with over 1,300 yards rushing, 14 TD's and a yards-per-carry average of 5.4.

DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma: Also a freshman last season, Murray was in a timeshare for the Sooners, getting the third-most carries on the team behind Allen Patrick and Chris Brown. Still, he ran for over 700 yards and led the team with 13 rushing TD's while averaging 6 yards per carry.

LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh: Like Moreno and Murray, McCoy was a sensation as a frosh for Pitt. He was among the top 25 in rushing yards in the country, and scored 14 TD's while piling up over 110 yards per game on the ground.

Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss.: As a sophomore last year Fletcher was in his second season carrying the load for Southern Miss. He was the eleventh leading runner in NCAA football with nearly 1,600 yards, and scored 15 rushing TD's.

P.J. Hill, Wisconsin: Hill continued his excellent play as a sophomore after a stellar freshman campaign. He put up over 1,200 yards, scored 14 times and averaged 5.2 yards per carry

James Davis, Clemson: If he weren't splitting carries with C.J. Spiller, Davis would have even greater numbers than he did. However, in shared time he still put up over 1,000 yards and 10 TD's.

Luke Lippincott, Nevada: The relative unknown on this list, Lippincott did too much to be ignored. Both his 1,420 yards and 15 TD's were among the top 20 in the nation.